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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "million united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "this business is hitch free " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "international remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • m6959@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Mark Agyare <m6958@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2007 15:07:21 -0400
Subject: HELLO !!! !!!




HELLO,


MY NAME MR.MARK AGYARE,PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO DIRECTOR INTERNATIONAL
REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK (ICB) OF GHANA LTD.

I AM WRITING IN RESPECT OF A FOREIGN CUSTOMER OF MY BANK(EDMUND MILLER),
OF YOUR OWN COUNTRY) WHO PERISHED IN THE PLANE CRASH OF 31OCTOBER 1999[WITH
EGYPTIAN AIRLINE990] WITH OTHER PASSENGERS ABOARD AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE
WEBSITE BELOW :http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/world/americas/502503.stm

SIR, SINCE THE DEMISE OF EDMUND MILLER, I PERSONALLY HAVE WATCHED WITH
KEEN
INTEREST TO SEE THE NEXT OF KIN BUT ALL HAS PROVED ABORTIVE AS NO ONE
HAS COME TO CLAIM HER FUNDS OF USD15M,(FIFTEEN MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS)HAS BEEN WITH OUR BANK HERE FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

ON THIS NOTE I DECIDED TO SEEK FOR WHOM HIS NAME SHALLBE USED AS THE
NEXT OF KIN, AS NO ONE HAS COME UP TO PUT CLAIM AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO
THIS FUNDS AND THE BANKING ETHICS HERE DOES NOT ALLOW SUCH MONEY TO STAY
MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS, BECAUSE AFTER EIGHT YEARS THE MONEY WILL BE
CALLED BACK TO THE BANK TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED BILL.

IN VIEW OF THIS I GOT YOUR CONTACT THROUGH MY COUNTRY'S FOREIGN TRADE
MISSION AFTER I WAS CONVINCED IN MY MIND THAT YOUR NAME/COMPANY COULD BE
USED AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THIS CLAIM. THE REQUEST OF THE FOREIGNER AS
A NEXT OF KIN IN THIS BUSINESS IS OCCASIONED BY THE FACT THAT THE
CUSTOMER WAS A FOREIGNER AND A GHANAIAN CANNOT STAND AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO A
FOREIGNER.

I AGREED THAT 30% OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS A FOREIGN PARTNER IN
RESPECT OF PROVIDING AN ACCOUNT WHILE 10% WILL TAKE OF ANY EXPENSES
THAT MIGHT BE INCURRED IN THE PROCESS OF SUCCEEDING THE TRANSFER AND
THE
REST WILL BE FOR ME. THEREAFTER I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR
DISBURSEMENT AS I AM ALMOST DUE FOR RETIREMENT.

UPON THE RECEIPT OF YOUR ACCEPTANCE, I WILL SEND YOU BY FAX OR E-MAIL A
DRAFT APPLICATION OF CLAIM WHICH YOU WILL SEND TO THE BANK AS THE NEXT
OF KIN AND THE NEXT STEP TO TAKE.

I WILL NOT FAIL TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THAT THIS BUSINESS IS HITCH
FREE AND THAT YOU SHOULD NOT ENTERTAIN ANY FEAR AS THE WHOLE REQUIRED
ARRANGEMENT HAS BEEN PERFECTED FOR THE TRANSFER. PLEASE REPLY TO MY PRIVATE
EMAIL ADDRESS:m6959@yahoo.com I STOP HERE TILL I HEAR FROM YOU. BEST REGARD, MR.MARK AGYARE.
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam